Remote control apparatus for consumer electronic appliances

ABSTRACT

An apparatus for the remote wireless control of a consumer electronic audio visual appliance such as a TV set, and/or for internet uploading, includes a remote control handset and a wireless receiver for connection to the appliance. The remote control unit is adapted to transmit audio and/or visual data (A/V data) and control codes to the receiver. The receiver is responsive to the A/V data and control codes to control the appliance to play and/or display the A/V data. The remote control unit includes a reader for a storage medium for A/V data, or a cable or wireless interface to an A/V acquisition device such as digital video or digital still camera or digital music player or recorder.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is related to U.S. patent application Ser. No.11/123,961, filed May 6, 2005, entitled “Remote Control Apparatus forPrinter Appliances”, and to PCT Application No. PCT/EP2006/004006, filedApr. 28, 2006, entitled “Remote Control Apparatus for ConsumerElectronic Appliances”, both of which are hereby incorporated byreference.

BACKGROUND

1. Field of the Invention

The invention relates to a wireless remote control apparatus forconsumer electronic (CE) appliances, and to systems and methods fortransferring and controlling audio and/or visual data (hereinafter “A/Vdata) from acquisition devices, through a wireless remote controlapparatus, and onto an output display devices.

2. Description of the Related Art

Traditionally, domestic homes have contained stand-alone CE appliancessuch as TV sets or single add-on appliances such as VCR and DVD playerswhich allow the recording of TV shows and playing of pre-recordedmovies. However, the last few years have seen a substantial growth inaudio and visual content derived from digital appliances and madeavailable to consumers in digital form. Examples include digital camerasfor digital imaging and MP3 digital encoding for audio data, as well asdigital video cameras. Broadly speaking most consumers now find digitalcontent more flexible and useful than conventional analog media.However, although most digital content can be readily managed andpost-processed on a conventional desktop computer, this is notnecessarily the best location for a consumer to enjoy such content.

Accordingly a new generation of peripheral add-on CE appliances haveemerged, such as Picture Display Devices and Media Adapters, whose goalis to enable the viewing of digital content using more conventional CEappliances such as a TV set. A Media Adapter is an appliance which canreceive digital content over a network connection and convert it tostandard RCA, S-Video, HDTV or DV output for presentation on a standardTV set. Typically such an appliance sources its content from a networkeddesktop computer.

The PrismIQ Media Adapter (www.prismiq.com) is a good state-of-artexample of such an appliance. It allows audio, video and still photocontent located on a networked home computer to be viewed on a homeTV-set. The PrismIQ features audio and video outputs which allow it tobe connected directly to a standard TV set. It may be networked with thehome computer via either wired, or wireless network connections. Themain PrismIQ appliance can then be managed by the user with aconventional remote control unit, thus allowing the display of digitalcontent on the TV set from a couch in the living room. Even with thePrismIQ, however, digital content is first loaded onto a desktopcomputer and pre-processed by a specialized server application prior tobeing accessible by the user from the comfort of his living room.

Picture Display Devices such as Digital-Album by Nixvue Systems Ltd.(www.nixvue.com), generally include a “set-top box” which plugsphysically into a television set and contains one or more readers for aremovable storage medium, such as a memory card, containing audio and/orvisual data content. Operating picture display devices, however,involves users plugging the removable storage medium into the box,returning to their seats and activating then remote control unit. Thisbecomes awkward if users have multiple removable memory cards that theywish to review or organize. That is, operating picture display devicesinvolves users moving from the couch to the TV set or box in order toswitch removable memory cards.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

An apparatus is provided, in accordance with one aspect of theinvention, for remote wireless control of a consumer electronic (CE)appliance and/or of internet uploading. The apparatus for CE controlincludes a remote control unit and a wireless receiver for direct orindirect connection to the CE appliance. The remote control unit isadapted to transmit audio and/or visual data (hereinafter “A/V data”;visual data including video or still image data, or both) and controlcodes to the receiver. The receiver is responsive to the A/V data andcontrol codes from the remote control unit to control the appliance toplay and/or display the A/V data.

Preferably, the same remote control unit may also be adapted to directlycontrol the consumer electronic appliance.

The remote control unit preferably includes a reader for a removablestorage medium for A/V data. The A/V data transmitted to the receiver isread from the storage medium. Alternatively, the remote control unit mayinclude a cable or wireless interface for signal connecting to an A/Vacquisition device, such as a digital still camera, digital video cameraor digital audio player, e.g., using an industry accepted interface.

In one embodiment a remote control handset and a memory card readersubsystem are combined into an integrated appliance. In anotherembodiment, a remote control handset and an interface to a digital mediaacquisition device are combined into another integrated appliance. Theseintegrated appliances allow digital media, particularly digital images,to be accessed directly by a consumer from a removable memory card, oran acquisition device, and to be subsequently transmitted over awireless link for direct display on a TV set or other digital displayappliance. This has the advantageous of eliminating the need for theuser to move from the couch to the TV set just to switch removablememory cards.

The apparatus for control of an internet uploading device (e.g., a pccomputer connected to a web server) includes a remote control unit and awireless receiver for direct or indirect control of an internetuploading device. The remote control unit is adapted to transmitinternet content and control codes to the receiver. The receiver isresponsive to the content and control codes from the remote control unitto control the uploading of the internet content, e.g., to a web page ordatabase. Other features described with respect to the CE appliancecontrol apparatus may be utilized in the internet upload apparatus.

A method for the remote wireless control of a consumer electronic (CE)appliance is also provided. A/V data is received from an A/V acquisitiondevice at an interface of a remove control unit. The A/V data andcontrol codes are transmitted to a wireless receiver coupled to a CEappliance. The receiver is configured to be responsive to the data andcontrol codes received from the remote control unit to control the CEappliance to play and/or display or otherwise output the A/V data. Otherfeatures described with respect to the CE appliance and internet uploadcontrol apparatuses may be utilized with the method.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Preferred and alternative embodiments are described below by way ofexample with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1-a is a block diagram of an embodiment including a removal storagemedium reader wherein the output device is a display device such as atelevision set.

FIG. 1-b is a block diagram of an embodiment including a cable-based USBinterface to the acquisition device.

FIG. 1-c is a block diagram of an embodiment wherein the output deviceis a printer.

FIG. 1-d is a block diagram of an embodiment wherein the output deviceis an Internet upload device.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a further embodiment including a remotecontrol signal connecting wirelessly with a digital camera.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram of a camera adaptor unit.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of an embodiment of a remote controlhandset.

FIG. 5 is workflow diagram illustrating operation of a system inaccordance with a preferred embodiment, including two alternativesources of digital images.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

FIG. 1-a is a block diagram of a system in accordance with a preferredembodiment. Referring to FIG. 1-a, the system includes a remote controlunit 200, which may preferably be implemented as a handset, theembodiment illustrated at FIG. 4, and/or a docking station. The remotecontrol unit 200 of FIG. 1-a is shown communicatively coupled with awireless receiver 310. The remote control unit 200 comprises a mainprocessor 220. The main processor is preferably an embedded processorsuch as a dedicated system-on-chip integrated circuit, for example, astandard ARM or MIPS based embedded system. The processor 220 shown inFIG. 1-a is interfaced to a number of peripheral subsystems commonlyfound in consumer remote control units: a user interface console 230 anda wireless communications chip 240. The user interface console 230 is,for example, a keyboard subsystem allowing the user to select andinitiate various control functions by initiating the wireless transferof control codes to a remote CE appliance such as a TV set or otherdisplay unit 300.

FIG. 1-c illustrates another embodiment wherein, instead of a displayunit 300 such as a television set or other electronic audio and/orvisual display device, the display unit 300 of FIGS. 1-a and 1-b isreplaced by a hardcopy device such as a color printer 390. In theembodiment of FIG. 1-c, a printer driver 395 is also used instead of thedisplay driver subsystem 360 shown in FIGS. 1-a and 1-b.

Another embodiment is illustrated at FIG. 1-d, wherein the data isinternet content that may be communicated to an internet upload device398, such as a pc or other processor-based device that is connected to aweb server. The content may be uploaded to a web page or a database orother construct that is accessible via the internet.

Many remote control units 200 also feature an optional image display234, for example, a LCD display. The display 234 may be an uncomplicatedalphanumeric display, or may be a more sophisticated graphical color LCDdisplay or any other display device known to those skilled in the art. Awireless communication chip 240 is preferably employed to communicatecontrol codes (instructions) to the remote CE appliance 300, 390. Aninfrared based means of transmitting control codes may be employed, oralternative communication means such as Bluetooth or WiFi, WUSB or WLANmay be used. Such Radio Frequency communications may use an antenna 248.These and other subsystems may be used including those that may becommon to domestic remote control units for direct control of a CEappliance 300, e.g., those that bypass wireless receiver 310.

The remote control unit 200 preferably also incorporates a removablestorage medium reader 210, for example, a card reader subsystem foraccessing data from removable storage media such as compact flash datacards. Alternatively, as illustrated at FIG. 1-b, the remote controlunit 200 may have a cable or wireless signal communication interface toan A/V device. As utilized herein, the term “interface” is meant to beany architecture for permitting communication of the A/V data from theA/V device to the remote control unit 200 including a card reader 210,USB or other cable interface 212, or wireless interface. A digitalcamera 100 may communicate A/V data to the remote control unit 200through a common cable communication system, such as may be installed onmany standardized A/V devices. Such communication system may be a USBmaster 212 which interfaces with the device 100 through a USB slaveconnector 102, or a proprietary interface such as ImageLink. Interfacingwith such A/V devices may be made using known protocols such asISO-15740 command language for cameras also known asPicture-transfer-Protocol or PTP. In this scenario, the remote controlunit 200 can also act as a docking station for the A/V device 100.

A system in accordance with a preferred embodiment has the advantagethat digital audio and/or visual (A/V) content data may be accessed bythe remote control unit 200 from removable storage media in the reader210 or via a cable or wireless interface from the device 100. Moreover,such data, stored in internal storage (not shown) in the device 100, maybe further managed, manipulated, combined and otherwise processed by theprocessor 220 on the remote control unit 200. After this data has beenaccessed and suitably prepared, it may be transmitted to the remotewireless receiver 310 along with a sequence of control codes instructingthe receiver 310 as to the handling and playing/displaying of the data.

The wireless receiver 310 of FIGS. 1-a and 1-b includes a main processor320, preferably an embedded processor, typically a dedicatedsystem-on-chip integrated circuit. This processor 320 is connected totwo main peripheral subsystems: a wireless communication chip 340 withantenna 348 and a display driver subsystem 360, for example, anRGB/NTSC/PAL/D1/VGA/HDTV/D1-4 interface which is connected, in turn, toa CE display unit such as a conventional TV set 300. The wirelesscommunication chip 340 is employed to receive, via the wirelessconnection 250, control codes transmitted from the remote control unit200 and, in addition, A/V data which is read from the removable storagemedium inserted into the remote control unit 200.

The protocol used on the wireless connection 250 may be generic or aspecific protocol for the imaging devices used. Examples include usingsimilar protocol between image acquisition devices and hosts such as PTPor in the wireless case PTP-IP or MTP over IP (“MTP-IP”). In theembodiment illustrated at FIG. 1-c, wherein the output device is aprinter 390, such protocols as PictBridge may be used to transfer thedata over wireless connection 250. The CE display unit 300 of theembodiments illustrated at FIGS. 1-a and 1-b is preferably a digitaldisplay unit such as an LCD panel or HDTV.

When A/V content data is received, it will typically be preceded by anidentifier indicating the type or format of the content (i.e. audio,visual or both) and may also incorporate additional metadata includingrecording image processing modifications performed on the remote controlunit 200. Image processing may alternatively or additionally beperformed by the processor 320 on the receiver 310. The receiver-sideimage processing may be responsive to metadata associated with the A/Vcontent data. As an example, a user may program a slideshow sequence onthe remote control unit 200 and then transmit the resulting A/V data tothe receiver 310. Further image processing, including transitioneffects, redeye removal, blemish removal such as from dust, and/ormotion blur compensation can be performed in the receiver 310 prior tothe actual rendering of the slideshow image sequence on a TV or otherdisplay unit 300. Such image processing may also be managed directlyfrom the remote control unit 200. Thus, the receiver 310 may directlycontrol the display unit 300 to play (in the case of audio or movies)and/or display (in the case of still images) the A/V content data.

Alternatively, remote control unit 200 may control the unit 300indirectly via the receiver. Such control may include the transitionbetween objects, editing the object, selecting which objects to display,and/or erasing and reordering objects. Editing objects may includeoperations such as color correction, red eye reduction, rotation,exposure correction, and cropping.

Another embodiment is illustrated at FIG. 2. In this embodiment, theremote control unit 200 is preferably the same as or similar to thatdescribed in the FIGS. 1-a through 1-c. In this case, however, thewireless receiver 410 is connected to a digital camera 400 or similarimaging appliance. An advantage of this alternative embodiment is that adigital camera will, typically, incorporate a display subsystem 460which allows it to be connected to a conventional audiovisual CEappliance such as a TV set 300. Furthermore, the latest digital camerasincorporate WLAN or Bluetooth subsystems. Accordingly, a digital camerawith such wireless communications and display subsystems can be modifiedto take advantage of the remote control unit 200 with removable storagereader 210. In other words, in this embodiment the receiver 410 controlsthe display unit 300 to play and/or display the A/V content data viadigital camera 400.

In a practical exemplary implementation of this alternative embodiment,the camera is a PTP-enabled digital camera, such as may be described at(i) “Digital camera connectivity solutions using the picture transferprotocol (PTP)” to Bigioi, P.; Susanu, G.; Corcoran, P.; Mocanu, I andpublished in IEEE Transactions on Consumer Electronics, volume 48, issue3, p 417-427, August 2002; or (ii) PTP/ISO-15740 PTP Specification,available from http://www.i3a.org/downloads_(—it)10.html, which arehereby incorporated by reference. The camera 400 is preferably connectedto an adapter unit 370 such as that illustrated in block form at FIG. 3.The adapter unit 370 of FIG. 3 may correspond generally to wirelesscommunication chip 440 of FIG. 2. The camera adapter unit 370incorporates a USB connection 372, which allows a PTP-enabled digitalcamera to be connected to the adapter system. It further provides a PTPstack 374, which provides access to the PTP functionality of the digitalcamera. The adapter also incorporates a WLAN interface module 380, whichprovides connectivity to an external wireless network. This module 370may be replaced by Infrared, Bluetooth or Powerline communicationsmodules. Implicitly contained within the WLAN communications module is aTCP/IP stack (or a Bluetooth, Infrared or Powerline stacks asappropriate to the physical communication chip be used).

A PTP/IP stack 378 is also incorporated in the main adapter, thusproviding remote access to the PTP functionality of the camera. Onefurther software module is preferably used to fully enable wide-areanetworking support for remote access to the PTP-enabled digital camera.This is a multiple virtual session emulation module 376. This module 376is preferably used because the PTP protocol that is designed to supportpoint-to-point communications between a camera and a desktop computertypically does not support the concept of multiple connected devices ormultiple concurrent device sessions. Support for these concepts isembodied in the PTP/IP protocol, but this also requires some OS-levelsupport from the device within which the PTP/IP stack is implemented.Thus, as the PTP/IP stack is not directly implemented within the genericPTP camera, it is necessary to provide some emulation support for deviceand session IDs within the adapter itself. Wireless receivers 310, 410have been shown as separate components in the illustrative embodiments.However, they could be incorporated into the display unit 300 or digitalcamera 400.

FIG. 4 illustrates a physical implementation of a remote control unit700 corresponding to the unit 200 shown in the block diagrams of FIGS.1-a, 1-b, 1-c and 2. The remote control unit 700, which may be similarin form and function to conventional known remote control units,preferably exhibits some additional features designed to accommodate theprinciple elements of the embodiments described herein.

First, it may incorporate a slot 780 in the casing of the remote controlunit to accommodate the insertion and removal of a removable storagemedium into the reader 210 (see FIG. 1-a). Alternatively, slot 780 maybe a USB master plug 212 (see, e.g., FIG. 1-b) which will accept a USBcable from the camera 100. In addition, it may incorporates specialfunction keys 770 to initiate customized image processing algorithmswhich can enhance or improve the digital content that may be accessedand further managed, manipulated, combined or otherwise processed on theremote control unit 700.

In addition to automated image processing functions, the remote controlunit 200, 700 may optionally incorporate a graphical LCD display 710which can display images loaded from the removable storage mediumsubsystem 210. This allows for additional image processing andenhancement functions to be performed on the remote control unit 700where user input from the remote control keys 762, 764 may be used toadjust a parametric input to the image processing and functions such asbrightness or exposure.

Further advanced functionality can be achieved using more complex userinput such as may be obtained from an “arrow-key” input button 720 whichcan allow accurate panning, zooming and scrolling of a selected image.An OK/Enter button is indicated at 728 and an ON/OFF button is indicatedat 750 of FIG. 4.

An exemplary workflow is illustrated in FIG. 5 for the transmission of,in this example, still images. At block 110, a memory card is removedfrom a digital camera or similar imaging device, and then inserted intothe card reader of the remote control unit at block 120. Acommunications link is then automatically or manually activated betweenthe remote control unit 200, 700 and the wireless receiver at block 130.According to this embodiment, the receiver may be an adapter connectedto a standard TV set, or alternatively an adapter connected to a digitalcamera with a display output suitable for providing a signal to a TVset. As stated, these adapter units may be incorporated internallywithin the TV set or digital camera, rather than being separateappliances.

Alternatively, the functions illustrated at block 130 may be operated onan intermediate device such as a centralized remote control box, adigital camera or a home server that will indirectly control thereceiver.

After the communications channel between the remote control unit and thereceiver is established, the user may next initiate a sequence of imagetransfers between the remote control unit and the receiver at block 140.These transfers may be a sequential display of all the images stored ona memory card, or may alternatively be sequenced by the user, orrandomly sequenced. The system may optionally provide support for aninteractive user interface (UI) wherein the remote control unit enablesa video overlay subsystem within the host device to be activated. Theuser may then navigate the displayed overlay UI using the remote controlkeys and thus achieve a more advanced control over the sequencing andtransitions for a slide-show display of the images. Finally, at block180, the images are displayed on the television set.

FIG. 5 also illustrates an alternative embodiment of the systemwork-flow wherein the images are received wirelessly (not shown) or viaa tethered communication (see FIG. 1-b) from a digital camera at block112. Image processing (e.g. downsampling) at block 114 and local storageat block 116 functions are performed by the remote control unit prior toinitiating the communications link at block 130, and subsequentlytransmitting a slideshow of the images at block 140 for display on auser's TV set at block 180. The example of FIG. 5 may be applied tovideo and/or audio data, as well, and it may be applied to output at aprinter (see FIG. 1-c).

ALTERNATIVE EMBODIMENTS

The following publications, as well as other publications cited aboveand below herein, and the background, invention summary, briefdescription of the drawings and abstract, are hereby incorporated byreference as disclosing alternative embodiments or features nototherwise described in detail above:

-   [PTP] PTP/ISO-15740, “Picture Transfer Protocol Specification”,    http://www.i3a.org/downloads_it10.html;-   [USB] USB Device Working Group, “USB Still Image Capture Device    Definition”,    http://www.usb.org/developers/devclass_docs/usb_still_img10.pdf;-   [CIPA] CIPA, “CIPA DC-001-2003 Digital Photo Solutions for Imaging    Devices”,    http://www.cipa.jp/pictbridge/contents_e/03overview_e.html;-   [PB] P. Bigioi, G. Susanu, P. Corcoran and I. Mocanu, “Digital    Camera Connectivity Solutions using the Picture Transfer Protocol    (PTP)”, ICCE 2002 and IEEE Transactions on Consumer Electronics,    vol. 48, number 3, pp. 417-427, August 2002;-   [PTP-IP] PTP/IP Draft Specification—for review purposes only    www.fotonation.com/products;-   [UPNP] UPNP Forum http://ww.upnp.org;-   [MTP]; see Media Transfer Protocol Specification    msdn.microsoft.com/library/default.asp?url=/library/en-us/dnwmt/html/mtp_spec.asp.;

The A/V acquisition device 100 that the remote control unit 210communicates with, in accordance with preferred and alternativeembodiments herein, may include an industry accepted (whether asde-facto or de-juro) standard Application Interface Protocol (“API”), orCommand Language, that describes the means of retrieving data from theacquisition device. Examples of such interfaces include ISO-15740, aka“Picture-Transfer-Protocol” or “PTP”, which describes a command languagebetween digital cameras and receiving devices; see PTP/ISO-15740,“Picture Transfer Protocol Specification”,www.i3a.org/downloads_it10.html.

Such command languages may also have a transport layer component whichcan be tethered or IP based such as USB Still Image Device Classdefinition which correlates to the implementation of PTP over USB; seeUSB Device Working Group, “USB Still Image Capture Device Definition”,www.usb.org/developers/devclass_docs/usb_still_img10.pdf or PTP over IP(“PTP-IP”) which correlates to the implementation of PTP over InternetProtocols; see PTP/IP Draft Specification—www.fotonation.com/products.

There may be a specified protocol on top of the PTP for output ofimages. One example is PictBridge (see, “CIPA DC-001-2003 Digital PhotoSolutions for Imaging Devices”,http://www.cipa.jp/pictbridge/contents_e/03overview_e.html forspecification) which describes such output protocol that may be used inan embodiments for printing purposes.

Another protocol is the Universal Plug-and-Play Orienting protocol[uPNP]. In generic multi media device cases, such protocol may be MultiMedia Transfer Protocol (“MTP”).

The present invention is not limited to the embodiments described aboveherein, which may be amended or modified without departing from thescope of the present invention as set forth in the appended claims, andstructural and functional equivalents thereof. In addition, in methodsthat may be performed according to preferred embodiments herein and thatmay have been described above and/or claimed below, the operations havebeen described in selected typographical sequences. However, thesequences have been selected and so ordered for typographicalconvenience and are not intended to imply any particular order forperforming the operations.

1. An apparatus for the remote wireless control of a consumer electronic(CE) appliance, comprising a remote control handset that is configuredto directly or indirectly control the CE appliance for playing,displaying, transitioning or editing audio or visual data, or both(hereinafter “A/V” data), or combinations thereof, including apush-button image processing interface including multiple push-buttonsconfigured to be depressable by one or more fingers or a thumb or bothof a same hand within which the remote control handset is being held bya user, and a second interface for receiving the A/V data from an A/Vdevice; and a wireless receiver coupled to the CE appliance, wherein theinterface of the remote control handset comprises a display unit, andone or more of a reader for a removable storage medium for A/V data, ora cable or wireless communications interface to the A/V device forreceiving the A/V data, such that A/V data transmitted to the receiveris respectively read from the storage medium by the reader or is readfrom the A/V device via the cable or wireless communications interface,or combinations thereof; wherein the remote control unit is configuredfor processing A/V data prior to transmission to the wireless receiver,or the wireless receiver is configured for processing the A/V data priorto playing or displaying the data, or both, on the CE appliance, orboth; wherein the remote control unit is configured to transmit the A/Vdata and control codes wirelessly to the receiver, and wherein thereceiver is configured to be responsive to the A/V data and controlcodes from the remote control handset, and to process the A/V dataresponsive to metadata associated with the A/V data, and to control theCE appliance to output the A/V data, and wherein the wireless receiverprocesses the A/V data, including dust or other blemish removal, motionblur compensation, transition effects, color correction, exposurecorrection, red eye reduction, rotating, panning, scrolling or cropping,or editing an object, selecting which objects to display, or erasing andreordering objects, or combinations thereof, under the push-buttoncontrol of the remote control handset for providing a processed image orprocessed A/V data, or both, to be output at the CE appliance based onthe processed image data.
 2. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1,wherein the remote control handset is further configured to directlycontrol the CE appliance.
 3. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1,wherein the remote control handset is configured to indirectly controlthe CE appliance through the receiver.
 4. The apparatus as claimed inclaim 1, wherein the interface of the remote control handset comprises areader for a removable storage medium for A/V data, such that A/V datatransmitted to the receiver is read from the storage medium by thereader.
 5. The apparatus as in claim 1, wherein said remote controlhandset further comprises an internal storage for storing A/V data. 6.The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the interface of the remotecontrol handset comprises a cable or wireless communication interface tothe A/V device for receiving the A/V data, such that said A/V datatransmitted to the receiver is read from the A/V device.
 7. Theapparatus as claimed in claim 6, wherein the interface comprises awireless interface and the A/V data is wirelessly readable from the A/Vdevice.
 8. The apparatus as in claim 6, wherein said A/V data is readfrom a storage medium on said A/V device.
 9. The apparatus as in claim8, wherein said remote control handset comprises internal storage,wherein A/V data is saved on said internal storage.
 10. The apparatus asclaimed in claim 8, wherein said interface is configured according toPicture Transfer Protocol (“PTP”).
 11. The apparatus as cited in claim10, wherein the underlying transport layer for said interface comprisesUSB Still Imaging Device Class over PTP.
 12. The apparatus as claimed inclaim 6, wherein the A/V device comprises a digital stills camera. 13.The apparatus as claimed in claim 6, wherein the A/V device comprises adigital video camera.
 14. The apparatus as claimed in claim 6, whereinthe A/V device comprises a digital audio player.
 15. The apparatus asclaimed in claim 1, wherein the consumer electronic appliance comprisesa display unit.
 16. Aft The apparatus as claimed in claim 15, whereinthe display unit comprises a television set.
 17. The apparatus asclaimed in claim 1, wherein the a display unit is controlled directly bythe wireless receiver.
 18. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, whereinthe receiver is configured to directly control the CE appliance.
 19. Theapparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the receiver is connectable toa further electronic appliance and controls the CE appliance to play ordisplay A/V data, or both, via the further electronic appliance.
 20. Theapparatus as claimed in claim 19, wherein the further electronicappliance comprises a digital camera.
 21. The apparatus as claimed inclaim 19, wherein the further electronic appliance comprises a homeserver appliance.
 22. The apparatus as claimed in claim 19, wherein thefurther electronic appliance comprises a centralized remote controlunit.
 23. The apparatus as claimed in claim 19, wherein the furtherelectronic appliance comprises a docking station.
 24. The apparatus asclaimed in claim 1, wherein the wireless receiver is incorporated in theCE appliance.
 25. The apparatus as claimed in claim 19, wherein thewireless receiver is incorporated in the further electronic appliance.26. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the remote control unitis configured for processing A/V data prior to transmission to thewireless receiver.
 27. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein thewireless receiver is configured for processing the A/V data prior toplaying or displaying the data, or both, on the CE appliance.
 28. Amethod for the remote wireless control of a consumer electronic (CE)appliance, comprising receiving audio or visual data, or both(hereinafter “A/V” data) from an A/V device at an interface of a remotecontrol handset, wherein the interface of the remote control handsetcomprises a display unit, and one or more of a reader for a removablestorage medium for A/V data, or a cable or wireless communicationsinterface to the A/V device for receiving the A/V data, such that A/Vdata transmitted to the receiver is respectively read from the storagemedium by the reader or is read from the A/V device via the cable orwireless communications interface, or combinations thereof; processingA/V data prior to transmission to a wireless receiver, or controllingprocessing of the A/V data prior to playing or displaying the data, orboth, at the CE appliance; transmitting the A/V data and control codesto a receiver, wherein the receiver is configured to be responsive tothe A/V data and control codes from the remote control handset tocontrol the CE appliance to output the A/V data, including directly orindirectly controlling the CE appliance for playing, displaying,transitioning or editing the A/V data, or combinations thereof;performing A/V data processing at the wireless receiver in response tometadata associated with the A/V data, wherein the processing at thewireless receiver includes dust or other blemish removal, motion blurcompensation, transition effects, color correction, exposure correction,red eye reduction, rotating, panning, scrolling or cropping, or editingan object, selecting which objects to display, or erasing and reorderingobjects, or combinations thereof; controlling the A/V data processingwith the remote control handset including holding the remote controlhandset in a single hand of a user and, using a push-button imageprocessing interface including multiple push-buttons of the remotecontrol handset, selectably depressing the buttons with one or morefingers or a thumb or both of the same hand within which the remotecontrol handset is being held by the user; and outputting processed A/Vdata or a processed image, or both, based on the A/V data processing.29. The method as in claim 28, further comprising directly controllingthe CE appliance.
 30. The method as in claim 28, further comprisingindirectly controlling the CE appliance through the receiver.
 31. Themethod as in claim 30, wherein said controlling indirectly through thereceiver comprises controlling the receiver to control the CE appliancefor playing, displaying, transitioning or editing said A/V data, orcombinations thereof.
 32. The method as in claim 28, further comprisingreceiving at said interface a removable storage medium having A/V datastored thereon, and reading the A/V data for transmitting to thereceiver.
 33. The method as in claim 28, further comprising storing A/Vdata at an internal storage.
 34. The method as in claim 28, furthercomprising interfacing with the acquisition device via a cable orwireless communication interface for receiving the data for transmittingto the receiver.
 35. The method as in claim 28, further comprisingconfiguring said interface according to Picture Transfer Protocol(“PTP”).
 36. The method as in claim 35, further comprising furtherconfiguring said interface according to USB Still Imaging Device Classover PTP.
 37. The method as in claim 28, wherein the A/V devicecomprises a digital stills camera.
 38. The method as in claim 28,wherein the A/V device comprises a digital video camera.
 39. The methodas in claim 28, wherein the A/V device comprises a digital audio player.40. The method as in claim 28, further comprising processing A/V dataprior to transmitting to the receiver.
 41. One or more processorreadable storage devices having processor readable code embodiedthereon, said processor readable code for programming one or moreprocessors to perform the steps of: receiving audio or visual data, orboth (hereinafter “A/V” data) from an A/V device at an interface of aremote control handset, wherein the interface of the remote controlhandset comprises a display unit, and one or more of a reader for aremovable storage medium for A/V data, or a cable or wirelesscommunications interface to the A/V device for receiving the A/V data,such that A/V data transmitted to the receiver is respectively read fromthe storage medium by the reader or is read from the A/V device via thecable or wireless communications interface, or combinations thereof;processing A/V data prior to transmission to a wireless receiver, orcontrolling processing of the A/V data prior to playing or displayingthe data, or both, at the CE appliance; transmitting the A/V data andcontrol codes wirelessly to a receiver, wherein the receiver isconfigured to be responsive to the A/V data and control codes from theremote control handset to control the CE appliance to output the A/Vdata, including directly or indirectly controlling the CE appliance forplaying, displaying, transitioning or editing the A/V data, orcombinations thereof; performing A/V data processing at the wirelessreceiver in response to metadata associated with the A/V data, whereinthe processing at the wireless receiver includes dust or other blemishremoval, motion blur compensation, transition effects, color correction,exposure correction, red eye reduction, rotating, panning, scrolling orcropping, or editing an object, selecting which objects to display, orerasing and reordering objects, or combinations thereof; controlling theA/V data processing with the remote control handset including holdingthe remote control handset in a single hand of a user and, using apush-button image processing interface including multiple push-buttonsof the remote control handset, selectably depressing the buttons withone or more fingers or a thumb or both of the same hand within which theremote control handset is being held by the user; and outputtingprocessed A/V data or a processed image, or both, based on the A/V dataprocessing.
 42. The one or more storage devices of claim 41, furthercomprising a program for directly controlling the CE appliance.
 43. Theone or more storage devices of claim 41, further comprising a programfor indirectly controlling the CE appliance through the receiver. 44.The one or more storage devices of claim 43, wherein said controllingindirectly through the receiver comprises controlling the receiver tocontrol the CE appliance for playing, displaying, transitioning orediting said A/V data, or combinations thereof.
 45. The one or morestorage devices of claim 41, further comprising a program for readingthe A/V data for transmitting to the receiver.
 46. The one or morestorage devices of claim 41, further comprising an internal storage forstoring printer data.
 47. The one or more storage devices of claim 41,further comprising an interface for interfacing with the acquisitiondevice via a cable or wireless communication interface for receiving thedata for transmitting to the receiver.
 48. The one or more storagedevices of claim 41, further comprising a program for configuring saidinterface according to Picture Transfer Protocol (“PTP”).
 49. The one ormore storage devices of claim 48, further comprising a program forfurther configuring said interface according to USB Still Imaging DeviceClass over PTP.
 50. The one or more storage devices of claim 41, whereinthe A/V device comprises a digital camera.
 51. The one or more storagedevices of claim 41, wherein the A/V device comprises a digital videocamera.
 52. The one or more storage devices of claim 41, wherein the A/Vdevice comprises a digital audio player.
 53. The one or more storagedevices of claim 41, further comprising a program for processing A/Vdata prior to transmitting to the receiver.
 54. An apparatus for theremote wireless control of internet uploading, comprising a remotecontrol handset that is configured to directly or indirectly control theCE appliance for playing, displaying, transitioning or editing audio orvisual data, or both (hereinafter “A/V” data), or combinations thereof,including a push-button image processing interface including multiplepush-buttons configured to be depressable by one or more fingers or athumb or both of a same hand within which the remote control handset isbeing held by a user, and a second interface for receiving internetcontent from an A/V device; and a wireless receiver coupled to aninternet upload device for uploading content to be accessible on theinternet, wherein the interface of the remote control handset comprisesa display unit, and one or more of a reader for a removable storagemedium for A/V data, or a cable or wireless communications interface tothe A/V device for receiving the A/V data, such that A/V datatransmitted to the receiver is respectively read from the storage mediumby the reader or is read from the A/V device via the cable or wirelesscommunications interface, or combinations thereof; wherein the remotecontrol unit is configured for processing A/V data, or the wirelessreceiver is configured for processing the A/V data, or both, prior touploading content to be accessible on the internet; wherein the remotecontrol handset is configured to transmit the A/V data and control codeswirelessly to the receiver, and wherein the receiver is configured to beresponsive to the internet content and control codes from the remotecontrol handset, and to process the A/V data responsive to metadataassociated with the A/V data, and to control the internet uploading ofthe content, and wherein the wireless receiver processes the A/V data,including dust or other blemish removal, motion blur compensation,transition effects, color correction, exposure correction, red eyereduction, rotating, panning, scrolling or cropping, or editing anobject, selecting which objects to display, or erasing and reorderingobjects, or combinations thereof, under the push-button control of theremote control handset for providing a processed image or processed A/Vdata, or both, to be output at the CE appliance based on the processedimage data.
 55. The apparatus as claimed in claim 54, wherein the remotecontrol handset is further configured to directly control the internetupload device.
 56. The apparatus as claimed in claim 54, wherein theremote control handset is configured to indirectly control the internetupload device through the receiver.
 57. The apparatus as claimed inclaim 54, wherein the interface of the remote control handset comprisesa reader for a removable storage medium for internet content, such thatinternet content transmitted to the receiver is read from the storagemedium by the reader.
 58. The apparatus as claimed in claim 54, whereinthe interface of the remote control handset comprises a cable orwireless communication interface to the A/V device for receiving theinternet content, such that said internet content transmitted to thereceiver is read from the A/V device.
 59. The apparatus as claimed inclaim 54, wherein the A/V device comprises a digital stills camera. 60.The apparatus as claimed in claim 54, wherein the A/V device comprises adigital video camera.
 61. The apparatus as claimed in claim 54, whereinthe A/V device comprises a digital audio player.
 62. The apparatus asclaimed in claim 54, wherein the receiver is connectable to a furtherelectronic appliance and controls the internet upload device via thefurther electronic appliance.
 63. The apparatus as claimed in claim 62,wherein the further electronic appliance comprises a digital camera. 64.The apparatus as claimed in claim 62, wherein the further electronicappliance comprises a home server appliance.
 65. The apparatus asclaimed in claim 62, wherein the further electronic appliance comprisesa centralized remote control unit.
 66. The apparatus as claimed in claim62, wherein the further electronic appliance comprises a dockingstation.
 67. The apparatus as claimed in claim 62, wherein the wirelessreceiver is incorporated in the further electronic appliance.
 68. Theapparatus as claimed in claim 54, wherein the remote control unit isconfigured for processing internet content prior to transmission to thewireless receiver.
 69. The apparatus as claimed in claim 54, wherein thewireless receiver is configured for processing the internet contentprior to internet uploading.